1 Corinthians Introduction

Back To The Gospel
(Spiritual Help For A Troubled Church)
An Introduction to 1 Corinthians
Key Verse 15:1 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF

“Now brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you have received and on which you have taken your stand.”

I thank God for our study of Colossians over the last six weeks. Through our study we learned that Jesus and his precious gospel is far superior to all other competing philosophies and religions of the day. All of the fullness of God dwells in Jesus and Jesus longs to dwell in the hearts of his people. Jesus is all sufficient for life, ministry and eternal life. We learned that our life of faith is not just a matter of thinking and rituals but it is a lifestyle, a conduct that must be lived out every day. It is also meant to be lived out in Christian community. Indeed we have been blessed by our study of Colossians.

Now we are into a new semester and we are moving on to 1 Corinthians. Why study 1 Corinthians? Good question. We need to study this book because in so many ways, we are living in a “Corinthian-like” culture with many of the same challenges that faced the early Corinthian Christians. We need to heed the advice of Apostle Paul so that we may overcome spiritual pitfalls and live victorious lives of faith in today’s world.
Part l: The City Of Corinth
Strategically located in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula, near Athens and Sparta, “the legs of Greece,” was one of the most strategic locations in the Roman world, the isthmus of Corinth. This piece of land secured Rome’s continued economic prosperity. The way over this land route avoided other long, risky voyages. It was the crossroads of the world. As a result Corinth became a center of communication, trade and politics. In the fourth through first centuries B.C., Corinth was one of the most powerful Greek cities. It was a cultural center, materially prosperous, intellectually infused, but yet very morally corrupt. Even in the pagan world, the city was known for its moral corruption. (http://www.khouse.org/articles/2001/363/ )

Being at such an important crossroads, Corinth was fought over. In 146 B.C. the Roman General Lucius Mummius destroyed Corinth and sold the women and the children into slavery. One hundred years later Julius Caesar rebuilt it. Soon it surpassed its former wealth, beauty, splendor and power. By the time of Emperor Augustus, Corinth has become the capital of the province of Achaia. By the time of Paul, Corinth had grown to a population of 600,000. 400,000 Corinthians were slaves and only 200,000 were freemen. Most were Greek. Some were Roman colonists and Jews. (1:22) Corinth was intellectually infused. Philosophy was on most peoples’ minds. It is said that one could not walk down the street without meeting a philosopher. Corinth also held the Isthmus Games in the tradition of the Olympics and was first city to host Roman gladiator matches. Polytheism dominated.

In Paul’s day, corruption and debauchery were prevalent. For example there were one thousand female priestesses in the Temple of Aphrodite, who served Venus, the goddess of love. Most of them were prostitutes. "Corinth" came to imply licentiousness; korinthiazesthai, "Corinthianize," meant to live in debauchery, synonymous with luxury, dissipation, drunkenness and filth. It was the worst of Hollywood, Las Vegas, and New York all rolled into one. Those who went to Corinth could enjoy such sinful things but could easily loose everything in the process.
Part ll: Background Of Paul And The Corinthian Church.
Into this pagan society shone the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul had arrived in Corinth first from Athens. In Corinth, he preached the gospel and planted a church. There, too, he met Priscilla and Aquila, Jews who had recently left Rome. (Acts 18:3). Soon Paul devoted himself exclusively to testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ (Acts 18:5). When his own countrymen opposed Paul and expelled the church from the synagogue, God’s people met in a large house next door owned by Titius Justus. Paul ministered in Corinth for 18 months, probably in A.D. 51 and 52. (acts 18:6) But, with all the persecution, fear came into Paul’s heart so that he didn’t want to speak anymore. At this time, the Lord appeared to him in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” (Acts 18:9-11).

Paul left, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him to Ephesus. He then proceeded on to Syrian Antioch by way of Caesarea. Returning to Ephesus on his third journey Paul made that city his base of operations for almost three years (A.D. 53-56). Many Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized. (Acts 18:18) God had begun a great gospel work among the Corinthians, and through his people there, he shamed the wise and strong worldly powers. Most of the new believers there were from the lower class. (1 Cor 1:26). Some of them had lived very wicked lives (1 Cor 6:11) But they were washed by the blood of Jesus and sanctified by the Holy Spirit and became members of the body of Christ. After Paul left Corinth for Ephesus, Apollos came and his Bible teaching was a great help to many believers. (Acts 18:24, 27, 28) In this way the church in Corinth was born.

Part lll: The Problems Of The Corinthian Church.

We know from experience that where God works powerfully, Satan also works powerfully. So many problems arose in the new church. There was a problem of strife and division. (1:12; 11:18) The problem of sexual immortality. (5:1) There were problems of eating. (8:1; 11:21) Some of the poor could not bring any food to the “love feast”, or the Lord’s Supper, while some of the wealthy brought so much delicious food and enjoyed their fill, ignoring the poor. Chapter 12 mentions that there was much showing off and human competition among people vying for recognition in the church.

The Christians in Corinth were struggling with the dark spiritual environment in the Corinth. Surrounded by corruption and every conceivable sin, they felt the pressure to adapt. The church was being undermined by immorality and spiritual immaturity. The believer’s faith was being tried in the crucible of immoral Corinth, and some of them were failing the test. They knew that they were free in Christ, but what does this freedom mean? How should they view idols and or sexuality? What should they do about women in the church and the gifts of the spirit? These were important questions to address.

Paul heard of their struggles and wrote this letter to address their problems, heal their divisions and answer their questions. Paul confronted them with their sin and their need for corrective action and clear commitment to Christ. He calls all Christians to be careful not to blend in with world and accept its values and its lifestyles but live Christ centered, blameless lives reflecting the love of God and in complete commitment to Christ. In order to do this, Paul gives clear advice for solving their problems in chapters 1 – 12. Paul thought that all of these problems could be solved with the love of God. So he wrote chapter 13, which is called the “love chapter.” It is the best love poem, no only in the Bible, but in the whole of literature. Paul also was convinced that another balm was needed to heal their wounds, along with love. It was the gospel to the resurrection. And so Paul set out to remind the Corinthians of the gospel, in 1 Corinthians 15, the gospel on which they received and on which they took their stand.

In this letter we can see his compassionate pastor’s heart and his gospel faith in dealing with their specific problems. He rebuked them with a father’s love and corrected their wrongdoings in order to teach them what Christian life should really be. He did not compromise with the culture in Corinth. Instead he brought them back to the Gospel of Jesus.

Part lV: Why We Need To Study 1 Corinthians.

Why do we need to study 1 Corinthians? There are many reasons. For instance it is great book because it deals with problems within the church of any generation. (see chapters 1-8) In the Corinthian church there are problems that have to do with divisions among the congregation, lawsuits, sexual immorality, ,marriage, wounding weak brothers and sisters by exercising our freedoms without a concern for others, abusing our privileges, church disorder, disregard for fellow believers, and showing off within the church. We have to be honest and admit that there are some problems pertaining to us, problems that Paul addresses in this book. As we grow as a church many more of these issues arise. It is also a great book to learn about how to be a good shepherd through the example of how Paul was a shepherd to this church. We need to study these passages carefully.

There are others things that we will study in 1 Corinthians. We will study about the proper behavior with the fellowship and in our worship. Our congregation is small and you are all pretty well behaved and attentive. But it is good to learn about things like reverence in worship, glorifying God and building others up. We will learn about Julie’s favorite subject, the eating of the Lord’s Supper. (11)

We will also learn about spiritual gifts. We all have gifts given to us by God. Some of us are still growing and discovering what our gifts are. What are some of your gifts? Is your gift singing? Preaching? Bible teaching? Faith and prayer? Leadership? Music? Stewardship? Administration of the work of God? There are so many gifts manifested among us. Let us learn of the many gifts and how to minister to others utilizing the gifts that God has given.

In chapter 13 we find the great poem of love every written. It is read over and over again at countless wedding ceremonies. We will study it deeply. This is truly necessary because the Bible says that in the last days the love of most will go cold. (Mtt 24:11-13) Most people equate love with some emotional, romantic love. Some couple it with physical love. But the love of God is agape love. It is God’s love for mankind. God’s love is sacrificial and unconditional. It is a love where one lays down their life for another. Jesus is the epitome and the manifestation of the love of God. 1 Corinthians will help us to learn about the love of God and how to express that love in our lives.

We will also learn about the resurrection. In regards to the resurrection, most people don’t think much about the resurrection. They assume that they are automatically going to a better place. That is a little presumptuous. People also think that the resurrection is not necessary to think about and to preach about. They feel that it is impractical. “Let’s think about the ‘here and now.’” they say. There are more pressing matters, like education, health reform, the homeless, a cure for cancer. All of these are important enough, but we can not ignore the resurrection faith. Without resurrection faith it is hard to deny ourselves and sacrifice anything in order to work towards these earthly goals. Resurrection faith a Christian’s power source. It is keeps us living in hope even when all hope seem to be lost. It is totally practical and necessary to incorporate resurrection faith in our Christian walk. Apostle Paul gives one of the best explanations of the resurrection in the chapter 15.

For these reasons and a whole lot more, a serious review of this epistle is highly appropriate for each of us as we return from our summer routine to address the challenges of the fall semester. Through the study of 1 Corinthians may we find spiritual help from the words of God. Then we can live healthy Christian lives and have healthy church fellowship. Let’s go back to the Gospel through our study of 1 Corinthians.